Rush To Enroll For Insurance Under Affordable Care Act Expected

Unlike in past years, when consumers had from November 1 to January 31 to enroll in individual marketplace plans, the enrollment period for 2018 ends this Friday.

"We've pretty much stayed busy the entire (enrollment) period".

"We've seen a good amount of people sign up", said Christine Simon, the outreach coordinator for PHMC. They should reach out to HealthCare.gov about an extension. Despite all of the political rhetoric surrounding the ACA, consumers are taking the time to educate themselves on insurance and are taking a vested interest in learning more about the importance in having coverage for themselves and their families.

About 3.6 million people had signed up for coverage through HealthCare.gov by December 2, at a point when the enrollment period was more than 73 percent complete, according to consulting firm Avalere Health.

The enrollment window in previous years ran from November 1 through the end of January. "Our estimation is that cutting out any time slots, whatever time of day, from the already shortened open enrollment period will have an impact on Nevada's efforts to even maintain current levels of enrollment. You just need to beat the streets and, you know, beat the bushes and find people who want to be enrolled", said McDonald.

"We've found during open enrollments people wait until the last four or five days to come in", said Scott Parker, director of development and collaboration at WNCCHS.

"It's as if I went to a Ford dealer to buy a Ford auto, and then I get a call from Chevy saying, 'Your Chevy truck is ready, and we need the money.' Well, I didn't order a Chevy truck", Robert Holub said. "So we're just enrolling people and people are more comfortable now getting back to enrolling".

"There are a number of people who have been very pleasantly surprised", Wilson said.

Some states are extending the enrollment period, but SC is not one of them.

A joint venture of Adirondack Health, Glens Falls Hospital, Hudson Headwaters Health Network, St. Lawrence Health System and the University of Vermont Health Network, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, "its mission is to create transformative initiatives to improve access to health-care services allowing the residents of the Adirondack region to realize their full potential and live a healthy life", the release said.

The uncertain fate of the Affordable Care Act's so-called individual mandate - which requires most Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty - also could be dampening enrollment. The Council on Aging of Buncombe County also has a website to answer questions about the ACA: ACAHealthcareHelp.org.

Delaware Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Kara Odom Walker said more than half of the Delawareans who signed up for a plan a year ago did it at the last minute.

Snowfall shuts down Valley, 5 soldiers missing
The highway was also closed at the Jawahar Tunnel, the Patnitop and Ramban areas due to snowfall and at Pathiyal after landslides. Special rescue teams of the Army are conducting search and rescue operations to locate the five missing soldiers.